Decorticating machine



Dec. 17, 1929. I w. H. RICHARDSON 1,739,611

DECORTI CATING MACHINE Filed July 7. 1928 Patented Dec. 17, 1929 PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM HENRY RICHARDSON, OF IPARRAS, MEXICO DECORTICATING MACHINE Application filed July 7, 1928, Serial No. 291,056, and in Mexico July 11, 1927.

This invention relates to machines for decorticating fibrous leaves, and has for its object to provide a machine of this character capable of use in connection with the leaves of different varieties of plants, which will effectively remove the fibers and deliver them in a clean condition.

In the accompanying drawing wherein an approved embodiment of the invention is a 10 illustrated lic cylinders; d are upper scrapers or knives of substantially triangular section, but which can also have more than three angles. These scrapers have longitudinal blades defining longltudinal grooves or hollows and rotate in opposite directions as' indicated by the arrows 6. e are lower scrapers or knives of the same form as the upper ones, and rotating also in opposite directions as at 6. Besides, the first upper and the first lower scraper rotate in opposite directions and so do the sec- 0nd upper and the second lower scrapers; f are two cleaners which do not rot-ate but allow the leaves to pass between them; 9 are two cylinders of such material as rubber so as to grip the fibers as they come out from between the last pair of scrapers and for delivering them to the two cyllnders h, from between which the fibers come out entirely free from pulp and juice.

The upper scrapers are caused to exert pressure upon the lower ones and the leaves between them, by means of springs 7 and screws 8. The pressure is thus variable. The operation of the machine is as follows:

By any known feeding means the leaves are introduced between the first lower and upper metallic cylinders a and b, and from there they are successively passed on to and between the following pairs of upper and lower metallic cylinders a and 6, whereby they are prepared, by the flattening action of said cylinders, to enter between the first pair of angular scrapers (Z and e, which as stated in the foregoing, are provided with a plurality of blades. The first pair of scrapers consists of an upper scraper and a lower scraper. The axes of the several cylinders a and b are staggered while the cylinder 0 is of smaller diameter and is positioned more nearly in vertical line with the last cylinder 7) so as to aid in introducing the fibers between this first pair of scrapers. The scrapers rotate with a speed from 7 to 20 times the speed of the metallic cylinders 11 and 6, according to the nature of the leaves to be treated.

The upper scrapers are capable of moving vertically under the tension of the springs 7, and the lower scrapers are'placed in their bearings in such a manner that a mechanical oscillator, as, for instance, a cam 10, Fig. 2, may give a horizontal longitudinal movement to said scrapers. This movement given to the lower scrapers has for its object to spread the fibers laterally, reducing the thickness of the material to only one layer, as otherwise the cleaning of the leaves would not be uniform. From the first pair of scrapers the fibers enter the second pair, which in this moment are open in order to let the fibers pass, and from there they pass between the cleaners f which are also open in this moment, and from there they enter between the rubber cylinders g. The second pair of scrapers and the cleaners do not function until the fibers have been grasped .by the cylinders g. When this happens, the second pair of scrapers and the pair of cleaners will close, and as the scrapers of the second pair rotate in opposite directions of those of the first pair, they will scrape the rest of the leaves even after this hasleft the metallic cylinders and the rubber cylinder.

The cleaners 7 take oil the loose ulp and the nice which they squeeze. en the fibers leave the rubber cylinders 9 they pass between the cylinders h, which rotate at very high speed and which leave the fibers completely clean.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

A decorticating machine including upper and lower sets of cylinders adapted to receive therebetween the material to be treated, the axes of the upper and lower cylinders being staggered,.upper and lower rotary scrapers arran ed to receive the material leavin said cylin ers and each including a plurahty of scraping blades, a gripping and guiding cylinder of less diameter than the first mentioned cylinders cooperating with the firstmentioned cylinder disposed nearest the scrapers thereby to cause introduction of the material between said scrapers, non-rotatable cleaning elements arranged adjacent the rotary scrapers and behind the latter with res set to the direction of travel of the material, rotatable delivery elements, and rotatable grippin and feeding elements interosed between the cleaning elements and the elivery elements.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

WILLIAM HENRY RICHARDSON. 

